GWR Diesel Dept Blog: A quick update.

Apologies for the lack of an early New Year update from the Diesel Department. Sadly, I suffered a very close family bereavement (my brother) on the 10th Jan and so my visits to Toddington have been on hold while I am helping to organise the necessaries, support my brother's young family and help with the 'sadmin' (a great word coined by my sister in law!). However, life goes on and in my absence the locomotives have continued to receive their winter maintenance and preparations for the new running season. In this regard I am thankful for the social media posts put up by my colleagues across the owning groups so that I can keep up with some of what is going on and pass that on through this channel.

So, where do we begin.....

Let's start with our Yorkshire Engine Co shunter, DES. As you may recall DES has been out of traffic for a while now after suffering a generator failure. With investigations completed, it was identified that the generator needed replacing however the then owner, Paul, was not in a position to complete the works. After reaching out to the preservation world a new owner was identified in Andrew Briddon, who had previous experience with Yorkshire Co shunters, and a deal was reached whereby Andrew would take on ownership, complete the repairs, before DES would return to Toddington under Paul's custodianship.

DES sits in the yard during September 2021 whilst fault finding was still being conducted into it's electrical issues.

On January 12th, Paul was at Toddington to document DES leaving. As part of the new ownership agreement, a second generator that Paul (and Paul's late father, Bill, a fellow co-owner of DES) had acquired was given the once over and was found to also be defective. However, the consensus is that one good generator can be engineered from two faulty ones.

DES sits on the unloading road as the low loader arrives and is readied for loading. (Courtesy of Paul Jones)

DES had been at Toddington for 23 years and had been a welcome addition to the shunter fleet due to it's available power for moving multiple locos at once - our 204hp Class 04's struggle to move more than one loco at a time compared to DES's 320hp and higher tractive effort. This loco was used to hauling several loaded steel wagons around ASW at the Cardiff Rod Mill, so definitely needed it!

All loaded and secured, the low loader is ready to take DES to Darley Dale for it's repairs. (Courtesy of Paul Jones)

Although there is no timescale for the completion of the generator replacement and rewire, we all hope that DES will be back in a serviceable condition soon.

Where it all started! DES on arrival at Toddington in 1999 with Bill (RIP) and Paul on the front running board. (Courtesy of Paul Jones)

With the close season underway, another of our shunters has been active alongside our colleagues within the Permanent Way department. 'Class 04', 11230, has been utilised on the P'Way train at Didbrook whilst rail and sleepers have been replaced on one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, remaining pieces of track on the railway. When the railway was in it's infancy the first part of track stretched from Toddington Station to Didbrook village, just short of where Hayles Abbey Halt is. The track and sleepers are, for the most part, still the original panels that were laid in 1984 and were in serious need of replacing as they were second hand even then!

It is easier to use the shunters for these little jobs as they can be prepped and started much more quickly than one of the mainline diesels and, with work going on in the yard on most days, the shunters are generally in a ready state anyway. Our sister blog, 'Heritage Herald' recently had a set of pictures from the legend that is John Lees - one of the 'originals' from back in 1981 who showcased the early resurrection of the railway and, up until very recently, was still actively involved with the Diesel and P'Way departments. This one shows a study of the 1984 version of the P'Way train hauled by one of the very first diesels on the railway, 'Mavis'. The sleepers, probably even the rails, are the same ones (for the most part) being removed over this winter relay! We can safely say we had our moneys worth out of them!

Didbrook, Summer 1984. 'Mavis' is the shunter that is propelling the P'Way train. (Courtesy of John Lees/Heritage Herald Blog)

'Mavis' is still based at Toddington, although you have to be very quick to notice it as you pass on a train. Originally, the little 0-4-0 shunter was being restored by the, now-defunct, Youth Group but has been sat in the yard doing very little with the occasional bout of restoration work being conducted on it.

'Mavis' is THAT elusive that the only picture I have taken of it in 8 years is this one where it is sat coupled to Class 117 DMBS, W51372 - its the small green and yellow thing on the left!!

I am not sure what the plan is with the little shunter or who actually owns it. I'm sure that things will become clearer in the fullness of time.

Not to be left out, our Class 03, D2182, has also been incredibly busy with our colleagues in Carriage and Wagon doing the corresponding winter maintenance on the coach sets down at Winchcombe.

Captured by one of our C&W Blog colleagues, D2182 shunts a Warflat wagon at a very frosty Winchcombe on 20th Jan 2023 (Courtesy of the GWSR C&W Blog)

On to the mainline fleet and the return of Class 37, D6948 gets ever closer. The 'Green Machine' is back in the Diesel Shed after it's 'holiday' in the David Page Shed.

Posed next to sister 37215 on 18 Jan 2023, D6948 is now back in the Diesel Shed after an extended period next door in the David Page shed. (Courtesy of Kevin Jarvis)

The loco has had it's electrical pre-heater checked along with the coolant/anti-freeze mixture - just in time for the latest cold snap! The decompressor plugs have been refitted and repairs completed on a number of electric conduits and engine covers. The yearly B Exam has also been started on both D6948 and sister, 37215, and it is hoped that a first start in nearly 3 years is not far away.

If you look closely in Kev's picture above, you will see that 37215 now sports a temporary set of oval buffers. The OLEO round buffers have been removed and sent away for refurbishment as they had been showing signs of damage and wear outside of the accepted tolerances. The fitting of the oval buffers means that the loco can be shunted safely, if required.

37215 at it's, then, home depot of Tinsley in 1987 wearing a set of oval buffers. (Courtesy of The Growler Group website)

The loco did arrive at Toddington with oval buffers in 1994 but I don't know if those fitted now are the set it arrived with then or not.

37215, along with 20137, in the yard at Toddington after arrival in 1994. (Courtesy of Dean Tabor)

With the work on D6948 coming to a conclusion, the next big job will be to remove the two compressors situated in the no.1 end nose of 37215. These have been leaking for some time and, although still operable, the decision has been taken to remove them and replace them with a freshly overhauled pair for the new season.

37215's OLEO buffers, palleted ready for cleaning and then onward delivery for refurbishment. (Courtesy of Kevin Jarvis)

Work is continuing on Class 26, D5343's resurrection. More steel has been added to places that either needed replacing or had just simply rotted away at no. 2 end. The CMDG had received a set of new crib plates that have been manufactured by our friends at the SRPS Diesel Group from their original plans of the Class 26. These have now been fitted and the gaps where the buffer beam sloped down because of the accident damage, filled to ensure the crib plates sit on the level.

One of the new crib plates welded in place on D5343. (Courtesy of Dave Stanton)

As well as the crib plates, the corner pillar on the driver's side has been complete replaced due to the accident damage incurred.

Before...........

After! A brand new pillar has been fashioned and welded in place. (Courtesy of David Stanton)

Whilst all the steel work is being completed, other CMDG members have been busy with other vital roles to get the locomotive back into working order. The remaining body side grills have been shot-blasted and painted with primer, as has the multiple working cable receptacle. The door handles and grab rails have also been removed and cleaned ready for re-plating with chrome.

45149 sits on road 10 at Toddington. (Courtesy of David Stanton)

'Peak', 45149 has also not been neglected whilst the 'McRat' is the focal point at the moment. The batteries were charged up and the electrical systems tested to see if any further damage had happened over the periods of very changeable temperatures. The loco is still waiting more detailed work to the electrical systems at no. 1 end that has prevented the lighting from working for a substantial part of the year.

The Cotswold Mainline Diesel Group have a new Facebook page where you will be able to keep abreast of the ongoing restoration of D5343 and the up keep of 45149. You can access it here, if you have a Facebook account ======>> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086535366200

Over on the DMU's, the Class 117 set, L425 has had it's M Exams completed ready for the new season. Other than the race trains, the DMU kicks the season off in March and so has the shortest lead in time in the department - the mainline locos get an extra month.

The Class 117 set, L425 sat over the pits for the M Exams to take place on each vehicle. (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Facebook Group)

The M Exams on the Class 117 are similar to the B Exams on a mainline locomotive but take into account the hydraulic nature of the engines and the fact that each vehicle is a piece of motorised rolling stock rather than a locomotive. Lots of safety critical tasks to ensure that the units are safe to run and carry passengers.

The M Exam includes judicious applications of lubricant. A vital job that everyone enjoys doing, as you can tell by James's face! He's having fun, really! (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Facebook Group)

Along with the M Exams, Kevin and Bryan were continuing with laying the flooring in the Class 122 bubble car. It hopefully won't be too long before the inside can be fitted out.

The new floor going into the Bubble Car. (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Facebook Group)

Some of the radiator mounts have been refreshed as these were life expired. This is another part of the M Exam.

One of the radiator grills after receiving some TLC as part of the exam process on the DMU. (Courtesy of the GWSR DMU Facebook Group)

DMS, W51405 continues to have some small issues with one of its engines (number 1 engine) and this was, again, stripped down to try and rectify the fault. The fault continues around the head and so this was stripped, checked, parts replaced and reassembled. When it goes back onto '405' it can be run up and checked again.